Con My Heart
by Fallen Jewels
Summary: FOR HILAIRE: Because he knew she was different. Scary, yes. Sneaky, of course. Stoic, so obviously. But she was something else, something no other con artist he knew could ever pull off: blunt. Blunt like hell and spicy taco sauce.
1. Caught

**Dedication:** For **Hilaire**'s b-day. Happy Birthday, Evette! Since I know you're not a fan of Natsume x Mikan (and that you forever pair the crimson-eyed boy with a very scary girl named Hotaru :P), I decided to do a HotaRuka fic, just for you (although, it might seem a little otherwise for a bit)!

Everyone wish her a happy birthday! :D

**Summary:** Because he knew she was different. Scary, yes. Sneaky, of course. Stoic, so obviously. But she was something else, something no other con artist he knew could ever pull off: blunt. Blunt like hell and spicy taco sauce.

**Disclaimer:** My name is not Higuchi Tachibana and I do not speak Japanese. Therefore, I'm pretty sure everyone can put two and two together and know that I don't own Gakuen Alice; never had, never will. Oh, and I also don't own Taco Bell, but I _do_ have this obsession of putting my favourite fast food restaurants in GA stories. It's a strange mix. :P

It was originally meant to be a one-shot, but then it got long and detailed and I loved it too much to stop it, so now it's a small story.

Yeah, and although some remain in character, some do not. ;)

Enjoy! :D

* * *

Caught

The streets of Tokyo were busy that morning, working men and women scurrying quickly on the sidewalks, bumping and pushing through crowds, flowing like a rapid river between many rocks. It was a typical Monday-after-a-party-filled-weekend day, where everyone was hurrying to make it somewhere—whether it be work or school—before they were late.

A teenage boy with bright blond hair was amongst the crowd, blending in with the other sixteen-year-old kids who were heading into the square to grab a bite before school started.

No one noticed that he was alone. No one noticed that his uniform didn't exactly resemble one from any of the schools in the area. No one noticed a lot of things about the boy, the only thing that people registered after glancing at him was that he was an attractive blond on his way to school.

So no one noticed that, when he brushed up against a petite brunette, he took more than just a smile.

He slipped the girl's wallet—a thick, pink leather fold—into the side pocket of his jacket, and dispersed from the crowd, feeling slightly guilty. The brunette girl had seemed nice, but it was in his blood to steal, and it was in his blood to get over the regret of taking what wasn't his.

The boy had inherited only one of those two qualities.

Threading though the crowd again, he thought about going straight home to drop off another pick-up, but decided against it. His father and mother were planning a con at a local hotel convention and wouldn't be back at their apartment until dawn, and his brother was probably working the other side of town.

_I've got time_. The boy then remembered the wallet he just picked. _And now I've got money._

~/~

_Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz. _

Sitting in a small coffee house on one corner of Central Town, the blond boy flipped open his cell phone as it vibrated. "Hello?"

"Ruka," came a deep voice from the other side of the line. There was a loud chatter in the background and he could hear the playing of rock music. Ruka didn't have to guess twice where his brother was.

"A bar, Natsume?" He sighed and slunk farther back into the hard chair. "You know Dad doesn't like it when you go there. You get too carried away."

The two brothers were born barely a year apart, but they still differed considerably. Ruka's hair was so fair that it was almost a light white and his eyes were the colour of a clear ocean, whereas Natsume had dark raven locks and crimson irises that were both intimidating and alluring.

But it wasn't just their looks that contrasted. If anything, their personalities were what made them opposites, added to the fact that one enjoyed their lifestyle while the other did not.

Ruka ran his fingers over the pink wallet in his hands. A five dollar bill was all he used so far, and practically all he was planning to. The brunette girl he had taken it from probably didn't deserve it—maybe he would return the rest if he saw her again. He glanced at the student card tucked under the first flap along with a flattering picture of a cute heart-shaped face:

_Mikan Sakura  
Class 2B, tenth grade  
Alice Academy_

_Huh_. The blond sighed as his brother's voice brought him back to reality and reminded him of the impossibility.

"I'm not drinking, if that's what you're worrying about," Natsume gruffed lightly over the blaring music.

"It's not that," Ruka insisted, "It's the fact that you practically almost come home with a wife every single time you go."

"Wife?" There was a scoff. "Not even close."

"Right," Ruka said impassively, "You just con the girl and then break her heart. I guess marrying her would be a much better ordeal."

"_Please_, Ruka." He could almost see his brother rolling his red eyes. "I'd just get the divorce done after and she'd lose even more. It's better this way."

"You're a saint."

On the other side of the line, there was someone shouting and a girl's whining. He couldn't exactly make out what Natsume said, but it sure got the girl to shut up. "What did you say?" Natsume yelled into the phone. "It's loud here."

_Duh,_ Ruka thought, but said aloud, "Nothing."

Natsume knew his younger brother enough to not fall for any of his lies. "Like you're any better. I bet you took a small con today." Ruka said nothing and Natsume continued, "Who was the unsuspecting target this time? Another big-shot? Or don't tell me, you chose a random school girl—they're easiest and you know they only carry small amounts with them."

"We don't need any of it, so there's no point," he answered.

"There's always a point, Ruka. There's always a point."

Raking a hand through his blond hair, Ruka glanced around the coffee shop. It was filled with regular people—people who worked, but not in the way he did. People who earned, but in much purer ways than his own.

And people who didn't have to worry about having to move in the middle of the night whenever things got too obvious, who didn't have to watch their backs for tails or hope they didn't get caught.

People he wished he could be.

_No, Natsume. There's not. _

"What did you call me for?" he asked finally, turning back to the coffee he had purchased with money that wasn't his own.

"Oh, I just wanted to let you know that Mom and Dad checked in and gained, and so they've decided to give us a small break." The tone in Natsume's voice was one Ruka knew too well, one he had learned only led up to trouble. "Get ready, brother. For the time being, we're official citizens of Japan."

~/~

Being a con artist meant that there were infinite possibilities. It meant that anything you wanted, you could have; anything you put your mind to would work out. Ever since Ruka was a kid, his parents taught him to will and retrieve, and that was how everything in his life was. He was never denied anything he desired.

Except a home.

They lived in America, Thailand and Italy. Traveled England, Ireland and France. There wasn't a popular city they hadn't been to, hit, and collected from. Ruka could practically say he'd been everywhere.

But he never had a permanent house to stay in or a place he could call his personal domain. Sure, sometimes they bought houses and apartments and yachts big enough to fit a million people, but they never stayed long. That was the downside of being a con artist.

Or, at least, it was considered a downside by Ruka.

So when he left the café after his chat with Natsume, it wasn't a surprise that he had a smile on his face. At the news that his parents had to decided to take a short break and stay in Tokyo City after a huge gain from the royals convention, that he would for the first time in his life attend a regular school with regular kids and regular classes (which Natsume only thought was lame), Ruka was excited.

So excited that he decided to make another quick pick before returning to the house as a gift of appreciation.

Only he wasn't so careful.

Taking a moment to glance at his watch, he couldn't help but think it was perfect timing. It was around the time where all students were having lunch, and business men and woman were taking their breaks—in other words, the streets would be crowded and targets would be easy.

He broke through the rush easily. As soon as he stepped out of the café, Ruka blended in with the crowd as if he had been a part of it all along. Taking a few turns, soon he found a perfect target along with a previous hit.

The girl he had stolen from that morning—_Mikan Sakura,_ he remembered—was walking in a small group of girls in pleated skirts and neatly pressed shirts. Private school girls. _Typical_.

She was chattering away to a girl with short black hair and the strangest amethyst eyes who walked silently beside her. That's how he found his target—it just clicked. Instinct kicked in and his stride found purpose, his movements quick and every bit intentional as he bumped slightly between the two girls, offering a smile and apology before moving on his way.

A squeal came from a curly pink-haired girl, followed by a compliment from the one with long, navy blue hair as soon as they thought he couldn't hear them. Ruka smiled to himself, barely registering another girl's indifferent voice saying, "Give me a second. I'll meet you at the store."

"Okay," a cheery voice chirped, but Ruka didn't really hear that either. He was already long ways away, a grin on his face, heading in the direction of his apartment, not hearing the steps that were quickly following his. Not registering the slight sound of a _click,_ like a machine's loading.

Not seeing the girl who was following him until something hard and forceful made contact with the back of his head, and he went stumbling into a side alleyway.

"What the..?" Ruka rubbed the targeted spot of his scalp, getting ready to push himself off the ground when saw the figure standing in front of him with a gun-like object in her hands. Then his blue eyes widened and he prayed he was just dreaming, that this was all just a bad—

BAKA!

"Ow!" he yelped. Well, at least he knew it wasn't a dream. "The hell, what is _wrong_ with you, woman?"

The girl in front of him had a gleam in his eyes—a gleam he knew all too well, a gleam that he had seen way too many times in his own brother.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure you know what's wrong with me, _Ruka Nogi_."

~/~

It'd be a lie to say that there weren't very many rules in being a con artist, but it's also be a lie if he said he hadn't memorized them. Having been raised by normal-happy-go-lucky-with-a-side-fact-that-they-were-thieves parents, Ruka was pretty familiar with the rules, so he couldn't help but kick himself for forgetting one of the most important:

_Never get distracted. _

But he did. A son raised by the some of the best (worst?) workers had failed to watch his back—all because he was starting to feel excited.

_Yeah, great good that did_, he thought bitterly.

The girl's short hair ruffled in the light wind, so she stepped forward, out of the streets and into the alley. Towards him. Ruka couldn't help scooting back a little.

Her stoic purple eyes betrayed the hint of amusement before going back to being cold and indifferent—something that was only amplified by the contraption she pointed at him.

"You tried to steal my wallet." It wasn't a question or an accusation. It was a statement that dared him to say otherwise.

_Lie_, his brain told him. _Lie through your teeth like you always do_. But Ruka knew he was caught red-handed and there didn't seem to be anything that looked like it could deter her, so he just tried to match her attitude. "And if did?"

She raised a perfectly accented eyebrow at him. "I could get you arrested."

"I know," he said, and that was more than the truth.

"I could bust you in front of the whole city."

"I know."

"You'd be thrown in jail—especially with all the bigger cons you've done."

He stared back in surprise. "How do you know about them?"

"I have my ways," was all she said.

"So why won't you?"

"Why won't I what?"

"Why won't you get me arrested?" he asked, knowing full well that it was a stupid question, yet asking it anyways.

At that, she dropped her hand and the gun with it, and Ruka thought that maybe she was just going to let him go, when she said something even worse than getting taken in by the police (he had managed to lie to them before anyways); something much less predictable than the new 380 model of the WroughtCam security system all banks around Japan had installed last Friday: "I have bigger plans for you, Ruka Nogi."

_Oh, this can't possibly be any good. _Then something occurred to him. "Wait a sec, how do you know my name?"

~/~

"Chill, Natsume. It's no big deal—think of it as a big con. Through a school. A honking huge, private school."

Natsume growled at his friends. "That wastes half a day every day for half a year."

"Technically," Koko piped up, "it's a little more than half a year."

"Excluding weekends and vacays, of course," Kitsuneme said, popping another piece of popcorn into his mouth. Seeing the look on his friend's face, he set the bowl of buttery fluff aside. "Look, Natsume. It's not like Koko and I aren't going to transfer in with you—and you'll have Ruka." He wrinkled his nose. "But if you plan on baiting any girls there, I suggest you don't tell him."

"Yeah," Koko agreed. "I don't know why, but he's been feeling oddly reluctant the past few months. Years, more like. Especially since our parents joined the Underground. I dunno, but he doesn't seem happy."

_Happy_. Natsume frowned at the word. Truth be told, he never really experienced it himself. Sure he knew how to party, and he definitely knew pleasure, but _happy_—him and happy didn't really have a good past together.

That was why he suddenly got bored at the bar that morning, ditched the girl he had picked up, and called his two best friends for a movie at their apartment. Sometimes he was glad that his parents' best friends (who were also part of the _business_) had two sons that usually traveled around with them. Even though Koko and Kitsu could be a little too _carefree_, they still made great company.

"Ruka's just not into the whole… taking what's not ours sorta thing," Natsume divulged for his brother. "Y'know, after the whole incident with Aoi, he never really cared much about the ancillaries."

The two dirty blond-haired brothers nodded solemnly at the mention of Ruka's first love—and his first solo big heist. They may not talk about it much, but it was clear to everyone that ever since the little girl left, Ruka hated what they did even more. Aoi Igarashi—none of them could ever forget her name.

"He'll get over it," Koko sighed. "He has to—everyone has to let their crushes go eventually."

"Speaking of unreleased crushes," Kitsu started. Koko's eyes widened as they locked with his brother's and he feverishly waved his hands in the air.

"No! Nuh-uh! Aunt Kaoru made us promise not to tell him yet! She's gonna kill us!"

Natsume glared between the boys, sensing that there was something he was missing. "_I'm_ going to kill you guys if you don't tell me what's going on. What did my mother say?" The two boys exchanged looks.

"Dammit, Kitsu! You just had to bring it up! So much for being the wise older brother!"

Kitsu frowned. "He's gonna find out sooner or later that she's—"

"She?" Natsume questioned. "Who?"

"Oh, you know," Koko asserted nervously. "Just a girl I used to, um, like is—"

"_No_." Crimson eyes widened as he realized who they were talking about. "No way. She isn't—"

"She _is_."

"You know we couldn't stop her, Natsume! She wanted to join the fun!"

"We're sorry!"

"Oh God, you have _got_ to be kidding me."

~/~

"Oh please, Nogi, like you're actually stupid enough to think that any Underground person doesn't know you?"

Even though the girl had tucked her little gun thing back into her pocket and allowed him to get off the hard ground, Ruka didn't feel any better. Of course, she was right. Even though he had changed his last name from the infamous _Hyuuga_ to _Nogi_ to avoid pretences like this one, he should've known that everyone in the stupid game they were playing would've have caught notice of that as well.

Sometimes it sucked being a part of one of the Listed families.

"Guess not," Ruka said finally, leaning against the brick wall beside them. "So what's your name then? And judging from the fact you know about the Under, I'm suspecting you're a con artist as well?"

She only shrugged.

"What's your major?" he asked, sounding just like the regular-school-boy-asking-a-regular-school-girl-a-class-question that he was supposed to be, whether people could hear them or not.

"You could say I run about a bunch of different things," she answered passively. Before Ruka could comment, she added, "You don't need to tell me yours." She flashed a brief and wicked smile. "I already know what you do."

'_Cause that's not creepy at all_. "So what are your big plans?"

Even though he was eager to get home and away from this girl, even though part of him just wanted to tell her off and say that he didn't want anything to do with the Lists anymore, Ruka tried to pretend nothing was bothering him. Because that's what he had been trained all his life to do.

"If you're not turning me in, then what can I give you? I should probably mention I left my diamonds and rubies elsewhere."

"I don't want your money." She paused then said, "If I did, there's another method I could use to get it."

Ruka fought the urge to shiver. The girl didn't even seem to bother hiding anything from him—then again, she wasn't telling him much either. "So what is it that you want then?" he asked again, keeping his tone level and cool like her attitude didn't bother him at all.

"Toss me it first, Nogi," she stated, holding her hand out expectantly. "Don't think for a second I forgot you still had my wallet."

_Well, that trick's outta the window_, he thought as he tossed the thick leather bind to the girl. _I guess she's not an amateur, after all._

As soon as she checked the contents and tucked it into her pocket, she turned away from him and started walking out of the alley. Before Ruka even had a chance to foolishly consider that she would let him off the hook, she called back over her shoulder, "What are you waiting for? You're buying me Taco Bell."

Ruka sighed but had no choice to oblige (keep in mind, this chick still had a gun!). Maybe he would've ran or tried to escape (because he had been the target of far worse weapons before and still managed to get away), but at that moment, he was too tired to try.

Too tired of conning people he didn't even know. Too tired of trying to hide when most of the time he didn't even know what he was hiding from. Too tired of picking on innocent (or not so innocent) people because of some stupid game that con artists had created just because they were bored.

And much too tired of pretending not to care.

Perhaps that was why the girl slowed her pace slightly for him to catch up, because she _knew_. Perhaps she was just as tired of playing a game that would never end until the rest of the players dropped off the face of the earth.

But probably, most likely, it was so she could turn around and snap a picture with a camera she had pulled out of nowhere (more specifically, her pocket).

"Hey!" Ruka protested, blinking against the blinding flash.

The girl merely cocked her head to the side and kept moving. "Now you know, Nogi."

"Know what?" he grumbled, irritated.

"Now you know what my major is: blackmail. Because from this point on, your officially caught. You're my new slave."

**

* * *

Note:** Chapter 1, posted! How was it? Don't worry, the next chap will be up very soon, 'cause I just can't seem to stop writing this supposed one-shot. And this chap may be a little serious, but that's only because Ruka is still extremely regretful. It will get better, I promise. :)

And yeah, family relations aren't exactly the same as in the manga (just so you know, Aoi is not at all related to Natsume and Ruka. I used Natsume's mom's maiden name, Igarashi, though, because I thought it was pretty cool). I'll try to make relations obvious during the chapters, but if not, then just send me a message saying you don't understand. So if some people are or aren't related in ways they usually are, then you can't say I didn't warn ya, alright? :P

I hope you liked it anyways!

Once again, Happy Birthday to **Hilaire**! :D

Review? ;)


	2. Trapped

Hey again! :)

You know how I mentioned before that this was a one-shot to a short story? Yeah, well, I was wrong. Again. As I was continuing, it just kinda evolved into something bigger than I ever thought it could be. So now it's an on-going story!

And since it's longer and more complicated, I've changed the genre from Romance/Humor to Romance/Drama. I'll still try to make it as lighthearted as possible, but the purpose of this story has been adjusted.

Sorry for the change!

**Disclaimer:** See chapter one :P

I hope you like it anyways! :D

* * *

Trapped

"Hotaru Imai."

Ruka dropped down on the couch as soon as he entered their apartment, the other three boys already spread out across the other pieces of furniture, eyebrows raised. The blond-haired boy groaned and thought about his horrible luck. He must be cursed. Or stupid. Or both. Why didn't he run away while he had the chance?

"Hotaru Imai?" Kitsuneme repeated Ruka's words with a grin on his face. "What, is that the name of your new girlfriend? Finally fessing up to our playing field?"

"Girlfriend?" Ruka scoffed. "Not even close." In the back of his mind, he remembered his brother saying something like it a few hours before, but he didn't think more about it. He just leaned back farther in the black leather and prayed for the second time that day that this was all a dream.

"So who is she then?" Koko prodded.

"An evil, evil monster who's out to get me." Ruka buried his head in his hands. "Oh God, I'm done for."

"What happened, Ruka?" Natsume asked, big brother concern barely evident in his voice, but they heard it.

"She's a witch," he muttered. "The Wicked Witch of the West, a complete sadist, I swear. And a pig to top it off! Who knew a girl could eat so much? To hell, the Sakura girl's wallet didn't even help—I should've never made that pick. Why am I so—"

"What happened?" the other three demanded.

"You only rant when something's completely wrong," Kitsu said as if they didn't all know that. "Tell us what's up, dude."

"Hotaru Imai!" He groaned again. "She's an Underground player."

Immediately, Koko jumped up and ran to his room and Natsume was beside him. "What did this girl want?" His voice was low, and Ruka could swear that if words could kill, they'd all be dead by now.

"It was my fault," he admitted, almost sullenly. "I made the first move, not her."

"Whoa dude, you made the first move?" Kitsuneme whistled and the red-eyed boy shot him a look.

"I'm sure whatever happened, it wasn't your fault," Natsume said.

"But it was." He lifted his gaze, crystal blue meeting fiery red. "I was stupid."

Still not breaking eye contact, Natsume barked, "Koko!" and the teenage boy came rushing back into the living room, full with his laptop in his hands. He set it down on the glass table, the other boys finally breaking their staring contest to gather around.

Koko's hands moved swiftly across the keyboard. "Imai, huh?" A bunch of numbers were scrolling and jumping around the screen as he opened his hacking software and started punching in complicated passwords and dynamics. The young boy had always been awesome with computer stuff—he was their team's hacker and kept track of everything. Despite being the youngest of the four (by just a few months), he was the first person they turned to when they felt need for a high tech earning.

The other boys were watching the complicated screen with such an intensity that they practically jumped when Koko burst out, "Got it!" and a picture of a teenage girl with short dark hair and purple eyes came on to the screen.

"What does it say about her?" Kitsu asked eagerly.

He frowned. "That's weird. Not much, actually. Just that she's the youngest female player to accomplish seventeen sets of cons in three weeks, by—"

"Blackmailing," Ruka finished. "She specializes in blackmailing."

"Is that what's she's doing to you?" Anyone could see the darkness in Natsume's eyes. "I swear, I'll kill her myself if I have to."

"Don't. She's only playing the Game—and I don't feel like being the reason another Listed disappears."

"Then I'll make another reason."

"Don't," Ruka said again with a shake of his head. "I can handle this myself."

Natsume didn't waver. "At least tell us what happened."

Beside them, Kitsu whistled. "Wow, she's broken some records. This isn't just some ordinary chick."

"None of them are." Ruka brushed some of his blond hair out of his eyes. "None of the Listed are ordinary."

"This is seriously weird," Koko said, lines creasing his forehead. "This girl is _really_ unordinary. She barely has anything on the U-system besides a few cons she's done—not the school she attends or even her parents' names. Hotaru Imai is more like one of the _Un_listed. Even _we_ have regularly updated files on where we go and our connections, and I try to wipe the memory clean every few weeks."

"She's not like anyone else I know," Ruka said bitterly, and that, more than anything else, was the truth.

"Tell us what happened," his brother insisted. "Tell us what she did."

"Well," he started, "it was technically more like what I did. It was just after you called and told me about our transfer to school in Japan and I was excited."

Natsume nodded along with Kitsu and Koko, who had pushed his computer aside for the story. The three of them knew that 'excited' actually meant 'distracted.'

"And I saw her and just wanted to take another quick con before I returned home—like icing on the cake for Mom and Dad."

"Oh, this is going to be icing, alright," Kitsu muttered, earning him a shove from Natsume. "Ow!"

"But she caught me. She knew that I took her wallet and she followed me into an alley—"

"Kinky. Ow, dammit, I was just saying!"

Ruka sent a grateful look to his brother but ignored Kitsuneme otherwise. "And she had this weird contraption that shot compressed air. She knew who I was but I didn't know her—it was obvious she preferred."

He continued to sum up his meeting with Hotaru, from when she bluntly told him she was a part of the Gameto her easy use and access of that contraption which she called her Baka Gun (stupid name, he had commented, which only earned him another hit).

Then Ruka went to the part where he took her to Taco Bell—his friends laughed mighty hard at this. They had taken a private booth at the back so they could talk, and she ordered a gazillion servings—it was a good thing he had his family credit card with him 'cause not even Mikan's wallet could've paid for all that.

That was another horrible highlight of his day. Apparently she recognized it right away—it belonged to Hoatru's best friend! Yikes much? She gave him such the evil eye no matter how many excuses he tried to pull up, and eventually he just gave it to her and mumbled, "Tell her you found it on her ground." Hotaru was only so glad to do so.

For a ridiculously high price. By God, he spent more than he earned that day.

Hotaru had answered his questions offhandedly with one-worded answers and yet she still managed to know more about him that he did about her. It was disturbing even though it shouldn't have been—after all, she was a player in the Underground.

And then, oh _yes_, there was the fact that when she left, she had said something that caused all his dread to run back up and stomp all over his freedom: "From now on, unless you want all of the world to know your _family business_, you have to do whatever you say."

Ruka was only glad to catch her name on her way out.

"Oh, she sounds like fun," Koko enthused. He shrank back under the heated glares. "Sorry, dude, but on the bright side, you probably won't ever have to see her again!"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Of course!" Kitsu agreed. "You said she was in a group of private school girls? They probably went to an all-girls school."

"Hopefully," Koko put in, but Ruka still had his head buried in his hands.

"This is what we get for stealing," he muttered.

"Karma," the two dirty-blond brothers laughed, and Koko continued, "Funny, I always thought that if it'd happen to anyone, Ruka wouldn't be the victim. He's the most pure outta all of us here—heck, in all of the Listed!"

With a sigh, Ruka pushed himself out of the sofa and announced glumly, "I'm gonna take a shower."

"When you get out, everything's already packed so I left you some clothes on the counter," Natsume told him. "We'll start moving to the house Mom bought when you're done."

Even though he was still exaggerating his capture, Ruka couldn't help but smile back. "Thanks, Natsume."

~/~

"You're kidding."

"Surprise?" Kitsu supplied weakly, but Ruka's jaw was still tight and his eyes narrowed as he spun on his brother.

"You never told me this!" he accused. "I thought it was just going to be me, you, Kitsu and Koko! But _her_? Really, Natsume?"

"It's not like we had a choice," Natsume grumbled. "The rest of us would've been happy without her here too."

"Ahem," a very feminine voice interrupted in perfect Japanese with only a hint of an American accent. "In case you didn't notice, _she_ is standing right here."

"Oh, we noticed you, all right," Koko laughed. "You're not exactly hard to miss, Permy."

"For the last time, my name isn't Permy!" the girl shouted, her hand quick as she reached out to the couch's cushion beside her and threw it at the smiling idiot.

But Koko knew it was coming, so just reached his hand to pluck it out of the air. "Nice to see you too."

She rolled her eyes and tossed her curly green hair over her shoulder. Trying her best to ignore the fool, she looked to Ruka and cocked her head to the side. "What? Not happy to see me, Ruka-_sama_?"

Ruka suppressed a shudder. The four boys had dragged all their luggage into Kitsu's car and followed the directions that Kaoru (Natsume and Ruka's very persistent mother) had given them to a very large mansion located within Tokyo City's borders.

Of course, they had enough common sense to predict that she would've bought them the most luxurious place in the entire city, and they had definitely lived their time in the high life, but it was still a beautiful home fit to accommodate a hundred. Even though there would only be (most of the time) a few matured teens living in the quarters.

But _four_ quickly turned to _five_ as soon as they walked into the living room where a green-haired girl was plopped down on the couch with a wicked smile on her face.

"Hi, Sumire," Ruka sighed.

"That's my boy!" she squealed, and in a flash, she was trapping him in a deathly hug. "I missed you guys! It's been, what, four months since I saw you? And that was in New York! So when Auntie Kaoru rang up and asked if I wanted to stay with you in Japan, how could I say no?"

"Easy. You just open your mouth and say it."

Sumire released Ruka and placed her hands on her hips, pouting at the boy who had spoken. "Natsume, is that any way to treat your cousin?"

He rolled his red eyes but relented, "Hey, Shouda."

"Last name is a start," she sighed, reaching out to give him a quick hug. He stiffened but didn't move. "And a hug is good progress! I guess your mom told you about my newest heist?" Her grin was pure wickedness.

"It was a good one," Kitsu congratulated. "Never thought anyone would try it. But you made it up into the top five again, and earned points in the Game."

"It was fun. Come sit," she said, grabbing Ruka and Natume's hands to drag them towards the Victorian designed couches. "I heard Auntie Kaoru and Uncle Ioran just finished with the royals convention. The Underground is always impressed with the big cons they do. That's why your family is always in the top two."

"We're only second," Natsume corrected, almost bitterly.

"Can we please not talk about the Game right now?" Ruka snapped impatiently.

"Ooh, touchy." Sumire raised an eyebrow. "Anyone care to tell me what got the Bunny Boy in such a foul mood? And why he smells like tacos?" She wrinkled her nose. "I thought you hated that stuff."

"No, that's you, Perms," Koko pointed out.

"Still, I'd prefer it if you don't bring that smell into the house. It's disgusting."

"Then stop sniffing people," Natsume countered. "_That's_ disgusting."

She crossed her arms. "Touché."

"Ruka's annoyed because Hotaru Imai caught him stealing her wallet, and now she's blackmailing him for it," Kitsu explained.

"Imai?" she asked incredulously. "You tried to steal from an Imai? Are you crazy? They may not be in the top, but they're more like—how do I put this—_eliminators_. It's practically their hobby to make money off all players. I'm surprised you didn't know that."

"I'm surprised that _you_ know that," Koko commented. "I never took you for the hacking type."

"Please, you guys are insulting. I may not read into the U-system, but I do happen to spend a lot of time with Natsume-kun's protégé, any you guys all know he's totally into that stuff."

"You've been seeing Youichi?" Kitsu sounded surprised. "I thought he hated you."

She huffed. "He does not _hate_ me."

"She bribed him," Natsume stated as if it were obvious.

"You guys hold absolutely no faith in me," she pouted with exaggerated hurt. "I just saved his bratty little arse once. He owes me."

"How is Youichi?" Ruka asked, remembering the adorable silver-haired ten-year-old who acted as arrogant and straightforward as his teacher. The Hijiri name wasn't in the top ten—no, his mother was much too kind for that. But they were still in the Game, mostly working on hacks and coding.

"He's good," Sumire answered truthfully. "Still too smart for a kid, but otherwise good."

They all nodded solemnly. Another downside about the life was that they all had to mature and grow up faster than anyone else. None of them had ever had a normal childhood—well, if creating distractions so their parents could rob top secret facilities was considered normal, then they were as ordinary as anyone could get.

"What else did you find out about the Imais?" Ruka questioned.

"Well, I've met with the daughter once—Hotaru, I think—and she is the definition of a bitch." She wrinkled her nose in distaste. "She's like a female Natsume—"

"Do not associate me with her!"

"—but with a higher tolerance for cruelty. She's horrible."

"From the way you both describe this chick," Koko said, "I don't think I ever want to meet her."

"I don't think she's _that_ bad," Ruka defended her. "Maybe she's just misunderstood?"

"Misunderstood my ass," Kitsu snorted. "Don't go defending the enemy, man. You're way too nice for your own good."

"Agreed," the other three said in unison.

Ruka frowned. "I'm not nice."

"You are—"

"No, guys, I'm not." He shook his head. "Nothing I do or ever did had intentions other than being selfish."

Sumire gave him a sympathetic look. Kitsu and Koko sighed. Natsume's brows furrowed together. It was almost true—they were con artists. Their intentions were never pure, and practically all they did was forcibly take whatever they wanted. But still being human, each of them had thought about the wrongs they did before.

That was where Ruka was wrong and Kitsu was right. Whereas the other players dismissed any regrets, Ruka took them full on, along with the guilt and pain. Some might say he was stronger than others, or some may call him foolish, but there was another word that his family used.

_Kind_. Ruka Nogi was kind.

"So, when do we get to go to school?" Sumire asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah!" Koko jumped in. "Despite having to deal with school work six hours a day, I think that we've learned enough the past years of our lives to know even more than the regulars do. I'm pretty excited."

Kitsuneme was happy for the interruption. "Same here. We're going to that one academy by the forest, right?"

"I'm just glad it's not a boarding school," Sumire said. "Believe it or not, I'd rather stay in this mansion with you guys than live in a dorm with some random perky girl." She shuddered. "They're so simpleminded and bitchy these days."

"Not all," Ruka disagreed.

"Just most," Koko put in with a smirk and a not-so-subtle point to Sumire.

She narrowed her eyes at him, then turned to Natsume and whined exaggeratedly, "Why did you have to bring this kid, Natsume? You know he annoys the heck outta me!"

"Hey, I'm not a kid! You are only a few months older!"

Natsume walked out towards the kitchen, ignoring Koko completely, and called back to Sumire, "Then he has a use."

"Natsume!"

"Oh, and we start tomorrow." He paused at the doorway between the living room and kitchen, throwing an amused look over his shoulder. "We start school tomorrow."

~/~

As soon as the school's secretary escorted the five teens into the principal's office, told them sweetly, "Kazu will be with you in a minute," and left them, Kitsuneme whistled.

"Damn, this is one heck of a school."

Gold wrought-iron gates had greeted them as they drove up the perfectly paved path in Kitsu's car and parked in a parking lot that fit more cars to count. By the time they had reached the main office, they had seen hundreds of different plaques hanging on the intricately designed walls and had marveled the numerous classrooms they passed.

"Is this some spoiled rich kid academy or what?" Koko said in awe. "And you know, in my time I've seen a lot of luxuries like the mansion, but a school? A freaking huge school that has a fountain in the front?"

Sumire rolled her eyes. "It's not like you've had a lot of time anyways."

"Will you stop it with the age jokes? We're in the same grade, for Pete's sake!"

"Well, excuse me for thinking—"

"You are _both_ children," Natsume growled, "so stop arguing on who you think is better."

"Gosh, Natsume, you don't have to be so pissed," she asserted. "Do you really hate school that much?"

Natsume just threw a look to the door, and in that exact second, a blond teacher burst into the room with a smile on his face and a slight ring to his voice as he exclaimed, "Hello, there! You can call me Narumi-sensei and I will be your homeroom teacher!"

Oh God. He also had purple skinny jeans and a frilly white blouse. Everything about him just spelled out—

"You're gay," Natsume stated. Ruka immediately turned red and apologized for his brother and Kitsu and Koko burst out laughing.

"No, I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but alas, I am not." Narumi flashed a smile of brilliant white teeth and the five teens fought the urge to cover their eyes. "The principal couldn't make it to greet you today—he's at a meeting. But don't worry, your first day won't be worse one bit!"

"Joy," Natsume said blandly.

Narumi only smiled. "So who are the three lucky tenth-graders who will be in my class?"

Kitsu snickered as Koko, Sumire, and Ruka reluctantly raised their hands. Even Natsume gave his brother a mock-sympathetic look.

"Perfect!" Narumi cheered. "Let's get going then!" He ushered the three teens out of the door before turning to the remaining two boys and saying, "Jinno will be right with you to show you two to his junior class." And with a last wave, he skipped out of the room.

The moment the door closed, Kitsuneme burst out laughing. "That teacher was so gay!" He threw his head back and laughed again. "Ha, I feel so bad for them. Who do you think will be our homeroom teacher?"

Natsume's eyes were on the door as he smirked, "He couldn't be as bad as that pedophile."

"True," Kitsu agreed.

Both boys were sadly mistaken.

~/~

"…And that is the girls' washroom and the boys'," Narumi continued, gesturing to two doors that were side by side as they passed. "Over here we have one of the rooms we use for practicing science, and this is for…"

Ruka tuned the man out as he continued to point out all the obviously labeled classrooms, trailing only slightly behind so it still looked like he was paying attention. As they walked, they only saw a few male students goofing around, but otherwise, that was it. Classes had probably already started, and it looked like tardiness wasn't exactly tolerated.

The three of them were wearing normal clothes because their uniforms hadn't been ordered in yet. In fact, Ruka had never seen the girls' uniform before—would they be just like the boys' blue blazers and plaid pants? It wasn't like it mattered much.

Finally, they reached a classroom door that had a sign above that read, _Class 2B_. Narumi smiled widely as he put his hand on the knob and announced, "This is your homeroom! Welcome to Alice Academy!"

_Alice Academy?_ Ruka thought. _Wait a second, why does that sound so familiar…?_

But Narumi had already pushed open the door and they had no choice but to follow him as he twirled in front of the class and sang, "Hello, class! Today we have three new students—make sure you welcome them with open arms." He waved his arms as if to say, "Come on in!"

Sumrie walked in with an easy confidence, Koko right behind her. But Ruka was still trying to remember why something about the academy's name was so eerily familiar to him as he stepped through the door.

Then he caught sight of a familiar girl in a familiar red girls' uniform staring at him with familiar purple eyes and he went rigged stiff as his cousin and friend introduced themselves. Hotaru's usually stoic eyes peeked with amusement but Ruka's only couldn't believe his horrible luck—again.

Only when Koko nudged him did the rest of the class seem to come to his attention. He straightened up and flashed a small smile. "My name is Ruka Nogi. It's nice to meet you."

Girls swooned at his voice and Sumire rolled her green eyes, but the corners of her lips were perked up. It wasn't like she didn't expect it—her cousin was quite the catch.

"Well, let's get you seated and partnered up." Narumi clapped, standing on his toes and looking over the desks. "Let's have Sumire-chan sit beside… Anna Umenomiya. She will be your partner as well."

A pink-haired girl (one Ruka recognized from Hoatru's group the other day) smiled brightly at Sumire as she took her seat. "Hi! I'm Anna, it's really nice to meet you! Can I can you Sumire?"

"Sure, Anna." Sumire shrugged. The girl beamed.

Narumi stuck his finger out again. "Koko-kun, you can partner with Yuu Tobita—he's the class representative. There's an empty desk to his left."

"H-hi," Yuu said shyly when Koko came beside him. He leaned forward a bit so some of his dark blond hair fell into his eyes as he pushed up his glasses. "I'm Yuu."

"Nice to meet you, dude," Koko said breezily as he set his backpack down beside him. "Call me Koko."

On the other side of the row, beside Sumire, Anna blushed. The green-haired girl raised an eyebrow, but Anna just shook her head and said it was nothing.

"Okay, and Ruka-kun…" Narumi put a finger on his chin and scanned the crowd. "You can sit beside…"

_Oh God, please don't be Imai_, Ruka prayed. _This is always the part in the movie where the guy is partnered with the one person who hates him! Please, please, please, don't be Imai. Anyone but her!_

"Mikan Sakura."

Ruka followed Narumi's finger to where a petite brunette sat near the back and his breath caught. She only smiled brightly at him, not recognizing the boy who had stolen her wallet twenty-four hours before.

As he made his way to the back of the room, feeling Hotaru's eyes on the back of his head, he only had one thought: 

_Why oh why does God hate me?_

* * *

**Note:** Even though they live in Japan, their high school schedule will be like it is in Canada (and I think the USA too). The classes are semestered which means that the school year (starting at the beginning of September to the end of June) is split in half, and each semester only has four periods a day (not with the exact same classmates).

Oh, and how Ruka didn't recognize the school right away? The girls' uniform is red and the boys' is blue, just like it mostly is in Japan, I'm pretty sure. And since classes already started, they didn't see very many students around :P

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask! :D


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